Only 17% of students have any say in what shows up on their school lunch tray. What happens when you give the other 83% a microphone? In this special edition of the Next Up Podcast, host Marlon Gordon sits down with members of GENYOUth's National Youth Council and Youth Engagement Lead Laura Hatch for a fireside chat that puts student voices front and center in the school nutrition conversation.

What Is GENYOUth and Why Are Students Leading It?

GENYOUth was founded by America's Dairy Farmers and the National Football League to ensure children are well-nourished and physically active. But what sets the organization apart is its commitment to student leadership. The National Youth Council, made up of nominated, interviewed, and selected teenagers from across the country, gives students direct influence over the programs designed for them.

Council members Riley (17, Florida), Rohit (16, New Jersey), and Roslin (16, North Carolina) each went through a competitive application process that included a video submission and interview. As Rohit put it on the podcast, the process felt like applying for a job, fitting, given how seriously these students take their role.

"One thing we love to say is: if it's about us, don't do it without us. And that's kind of what drives all this."

The Stigma Problem, and How Free Meals Change Everything

When asked about the stigma surrounding school meals, Rohit offered a nuanced perspective shaped by living in two very different communities. In Jersey City's urban environment, the stigma centered on affordability, bringing lunch from home was often the more practical choice. After moving to a higher-income suburban school, the gap between homemade and school lunch narrowed significantly. The demographic you're in shapes how students perceive school meals.

Laura Hatch shared a powerful finding from GENYOUth's nationwide research: in states with statewide free school meals policies, stigma was drastically reduced among students aged 13 to 18. Riley confirmed this from personal experience. At his Florida school, meals are free for everyone, which removes the social barrier entirely. The data is clear: universal free meals aren't just about nutrition, they're about dignity.

Bowls, Sushi, and Chicken Tikka: What Students Actually Want to Eat

The students' menu wishlists reveal something school nutrition professionals already know. Today's teens want customization, cultural diversity, and real nutrition in every bite. Rohit, a wrestler who prioritizes protein, championed the bowl concept: rice, chicken, lettuce, and all macronutrients in one container where nothing gets skipped.

Roslin described a cafeteria with four lines and daily-rotating menus, but still wanted more culturally diverse options, specifically, a traditional chicken soup called Caldo de Pollo from her own heritage. Rohit's school has experimented with sushi and burritos to reflect its diverse population, and even attempted a chicken tikka masala taste test (which didn't quite make the cut). The takeaway: students are ready for adventurous menus, but schools need consistent student feedback loops to get the execution right.

"I think at the root of all the issues we have to deal with regarding school nutrition, it has to be how nutrition at school is downplayed in comparison to education or athletics. If we can make everything more combined and whole, then all of these issues will just disappear because everything is going to matter equally."

25 Minutes Isn't Enough: The Time and Space Crisis

Every student on the panel raised the same structural issue: there isn't enough time to eat. Riley's school allows 25 minutes, with lines so long that students wait 15 minutes just to get food, leaving barely enough time to finish. Roslin's school crams all 700 students into one lunch period with an hour on paper, but 30 minutes of that is spent waiting in line. Students end up standing, sitting on the floor, or going to entirely different areas to eat.

None of the students' schools offered mobile ordering or grab-and-go carts in hallways, and Rohit noted his school had only recently started a breakfast program, something many other schools had for years. GENYOUth's research supports what the students described: there's a clear satisfaction cut-off at about 20 minutes of actual seat time, and students with more time report significantly higher satisfaction with their meals.

Breakfast, Performance, and the 57% Problem

Laura Hatch shared a striking statistic: about 57% of students skip breakfast at least once a week. The council members confirmed the impact firsthand. Rohit, who wrestles and lifts, said he runs out of energy faster on days he skips breakfast. Roslin described feeling less concentrated and more anxious without it. Even host Marlon Gordon admitted that skipping breakfast the day before made him "hangry all day long."

The science is straightforward, but as Rohit articulated with what Marlon called "a mic drop moment," students burn calories thinking at school all day and then have after-school activities. You can't make up those missed nutrients later. Schools that invest in accessible breakfast programs, especially grab-and-go options outside the cafeteria, are investing directly in academic and athletic performance.

Key Takeaways